BLOG

In a recent conversation with a friend and colleague, I was deeply moved when she shared how she is realizing that throughout her life, in her desire to belong, she has been denying a part of herself. She was seeing this as a young student, with friends growing up, in work environments and in certain communities. In her desire to belong, she has been trying to fit in. And for her, that meant denying and downplaying her blackness.

Where are you coming from – inside yourself? Where is it leading you?

Where we come from inside ourselves matters more than any singular activity we will do. Where we come from inside ourselves shapes everything that comes afterwards.

“Do you stop listening to me if you don’t like the tone of my voice?” A few weeks ago, I saw this post on Instagram and instantly in my mind I replied, “Yep. That’s me. I’ve done that.”

There is a saying, “Bloom Where You’re Planted” that I love. I first heard it when I moved to Paris. There was a class for expats with that title. I loved the idea that no matter where we are, what we have going on, there is an opportunity to bloom. Over the last few months, I have thought of this saying a lot.